Kahlil Gibran thoughts on the creation of Art by Artists.

The very fact that we, as a species, have the ability to create, feel and understand art is phenomenal. But having said that, understanding as to why we create art has been a subject of contemplation, study, and debate crossing through multiple spheres of occupation. Some have tried to define it, categorize it,question it. But the fact remains that Art is disruptive, Art is inspiring and Art is enigmatic. The great 19th century Lebanese-American scholar, poet and philosopher, Khalil Gibran had a notion about it, which is as poetic and abstract as it should be. In his numerous beautiful letters to Mary Haskel, his collaborator, his inspiration, his love.

And Gibran replied: “There is an old Arabic song which begins “Only God and I know what is in my heart” — and today, after rereading your last three letters, I said out loud “Only God and Mary and I know what is in my heart.” I would open my heart and carry it in my hand so that others may know also; for there is no deeper desire than the desire of being revealed. We all want that little light in us to be taken from under the bushel. The first poet must have suffered much when the cave-dwellers laughed at his mad words. He would have given his bow and arrows and lion skin, everything he possessed, just to have his fellow-men know the delight and the passion which the sunset had created in his soul. And yet, is it not this mystic pain — the pain of not being known — that gives birth to art and artists?“

This post has been inspired from the beautiful article written by the Maria Popova, from Brain Pickings